Courage & Commitment authored by Margaret Alva

Courage & Commitment: An Autobiography: Margaret Alva

A book titled Courage & Commitment: An Autobiography by Margaret Alva was in news in the second week of July 2016.

Via this book, Alva narrates her forty-year career under four Prime Ministers, namely Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. It also tells about her transition from politician to Governor.

In the book, the Alva narrates her trials and triumphs and controversies that rocked her career as a politician leading to expulsion from Congress Party in 1979. She provides details of her spats with Sanjay Gandhi, her role in framing Rajiv Gandhi’s last campaign tour and her involvement with the Jain Hawala investigation when in charge of the CBI.

In the book, Alva also speaks about her denunciation of the manipulation of seats by her own party; and the events leading to her resignation in 2008 from the post of the AICC General Secretary in charge of eight states.

At the same time, she also offers rare insights into the lives of national and international political luminaries.

Margaret Alva

• Margaret Alva is a political leader from the Indian National Congress

• She was the governor Rajasthan and Uttarakhand

• She was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1974, 1980, 1986 and 1992 as a representative of Congress

• During her time in the Rajya Sabha, she was its vice-chairman (1983-85)

• She also served terms as Union Minister of State in the ministries for Parliamentary Affairs, Youth and Sports and Women and Child Development, and more

• In her HRD role, between 1985 and 1989, Alva oversaw the Rajiv Gandhi-led government's 28-point plan intended to improve the rights and involvement of women and children.

• Her 1989 proposal that 33 percent of seats in panchayat raj (local government) elections should be reserved for women became law in 1993

• She was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha as a Member of Parliament in 1999

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